Atwater Village has been called L.A.’s most underrated neighborhood, which basically means you can find a parking spot here without losing your mind. The down-to-earth stretch along Glendale Boulevard, from the L.A. River to the Glendale border, has a warm, small-town feel (evidenced by a yearly block party to light the scraggly Grinchesque Christmas tree on the median of Glendale, across from a bank) and some of the best pastries and breakfast burritos in the city.

Meet your local

Mia was born in Pasadena and moved seven times across the country before finishing high school in L.A.’s South Bay. After going to college in Vermont, she came back to L.A. in 2010 and has lived here since. Before going freelance, she worked on staff at the Rafu Shimpo, the local Japanese American community newspaper, based in Little Tokyo.

Where I live: On the Eastside, near the L.A. River. My parents still live in the South Bay, which my mom brags is always 10 degrees cooler than where I live.

Best way to get around the city: L.A. was famously built for cars and, unfortunately, they’re still the most reliable way to get around. If you plan strategically, though, you can access a lot by Metro, and many neighborhoods are walkable.

Don’t leave without having: A moment at the ocean. If you’re here on a weekday, take advantage of the lull and go to El Matador State Beach in Malibu, which has gorgeous, dramatic rock formations and is always crowded on weekends.

But the local favorite is really: The wide-ranging food culture. The city mourned when Jonathan Gold, the first restaurant critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, died in 2018. He wrote about L.A.’s food with awareness and respect for the people and cultures behind it, and many of the best stories written about the city are still told through the lens of food.

If I moved, I’d most miss: Being able to see actors, comedians and artists, both at the top of their game and just getting started, perform and talk about their work, often at free or affordable events, while still getting to live in a relatively quiet, residential neighborhood.

Atwater Village

(Courtesy of Proof Bakery)

Proof Bakery

There’s no way to go wrong at Proof, whether you’re in the mood for a croissant, a cookie or a piece of rich chocolate cake. At noon, the bakery also serves sandwiches (salami, ham and vegetarian) on satisfyingly salty stecca bread.

If you’re looking for gluten-free or vegan pastries or a place to sit awhile and recharge, Black Elephant offers all that and good coffee. This friendly space is decorated with thriving pothos plants, each with its name on a chalkboard sign: Rosa, Maria, Solange …

Wanderlust Creamery gets its name from its geography-themed flavors, inspired by places from the Pacific Northwest (Smoky Road) to Thailand (Sticky Rice + Mango). For $30, you can take “a flight around the world” and try them all.

The tiny storefront of this family-owned taco counter could be easy to miss if not for the crowd always gathered in front of it during business hours. For $3 to $7, you can buy comfort in breakfast-burrito form.

Dune’s menu is small but varied, each dish a melange of texture and flavor: fried, soft-boiled, pickled, raw. If you go with a friend, split the shakshuka and a sandwich, either the pickled beet or the fried chicken shawarma.

For a $5 cover ($7.50 on weekends), you have access to over 1,600 board games, with options for serious gamers and “casuals” alike. The cafe, on the edge of Glendale, is no afterthought, either — the apple pie is especially delicious.

At this completely unpretentious restaurant-grocery store, you can have a complete meal of rice and two curries for $4. Everything here is vegetarian or vegan, and because it’s so affordable, you can easily end up with a table of varied breads, from crispy dosas to fat, stuffed parathas.

Mia was born in Pasadena and moved seven times across the country before finishing high school in L.A.’s South Bay. After going to college in Vermont, she came back to L.A. in 2010 and has lived here since. Before going freelance, she worked on staff at the Rafu Shimpo, the local Japanese American community newspaper, based in Little Tokyo.